S T A M E N M I L O V A N O V I

A LONG NIGHT UNDER THE WALNUT TREE

Translated by Goran Mimica

Stamen Milovanovi was born in 1940 in the village of Dubovo. He went to school in Dubovo, Belgrade andNi. He has worked as an explosives layer, bulldozer driver, mechanic, machinist and maths teacher, and helearned the basics of dramaturgy from the gallery of the National Theatre in Belgrade. He started writing inhis early school years. His first one-act play, Droplets of Freedom (Kapi slobode), was published in Split (Croa-tia) in 1965. The play was staged the same year, under the authors direction, in Trebinje (Herzegovina). Hethen stopped writing, only going back to it in 1995 with his trilogy: Widows Dance, Precipitation and DevilsTown (Udoviko Kolo, Sunovrat and avolja Varo). He wrote a play Return (Povratak), which was in the reper-toire of National Theatre in Uice. He writes fiction, too. He has published aphorisms and short stories in sev-eral literary magazines, on the radio and in daily papers. In 2006 the Serbian Playwright Society judged hisplay Konstantin as one of the five best plays in the country. The play was published the same year in Contem-porary Serbian Drama. In 2007, in the same competition, his drama Olivera received recognition. His playSound Assimilation (Jednaenje po zvunosti) won the prestigious Branislav Nui Award for 2008. He haswon prizes for his fiction work too. His novel is in progress. He lives and works in Ni.

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STAMEN MILOVANOVI

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D r a m a t u r g i c a l n o t e

METAPHORS OF THE FORGOTTENWORLDA Long Night Under the Walnut Tree can be placed inthe sub-genre of village life drama. This genre wasrevived by Milica Novkovi with A Stone to Rest YourHead On (Kamen za pod glavu), and was also givennew strength and importance by Duan Spasojevi inhis piece Dying out (Odumiranje). At first glance, thedying out of the Serbian mountain village householdis the main theme of this drama. But only at firstglance.In A Long Night Under the Walnut Tree the householdand its surroundings rise from a timeless space, lead-ing us to believe that in Serbian villages, time has, lit-erally and metaphorically, stopped. Two walnut treesare metaphors for the father and mother, spiritual pil-lars of this forgotten world. Their names aremetaphors too Vukoje (wolf) and ivana (life de-spite everything). They are old, poor, lonely, rough andbitter. They drink and live hard. They have three adultchildren who have gone to search for a better life inthe city. The forgotten father, Vukoje, announces hisdeath in order to, if nothing else, gather the family.But this is not a drama about a hard life in a Serbianvillage. This is a drama about those who have left,

about Vukoje and ivana children, about Radia, Slo-bodan and Milica and their children, about their fightfor the family inheritance, where conflict about ma-terial things is a cause of and cover for conflict aboutunresolved emotional issues. The problem about whois going to look after the old and weak parents resem-bles the conflict between King Lear and his daugh-ters, without tragedy and pathos, but rather withNuis sense and understanding of the Serbian men-tality. Vukoje, his children and grandchildren are closeto us, because their story is actually a story about us.If each of us took a look at our family tree, we wouldrealize that just one, two or three generations ago weall came from some Vukojes village, from a placewhere wolves live strong, enduring, raw and roughpeople from vukojebina1. Vukojes sons and grand-children have to go back to their roots in order to set-tle the unresolved scores, find their lost foundations,find ties with their own family stories and eventuallyfind peace in a long night under the family tree.

Marina Milivojevi-MaarevTranslated by Goran Mimica

1 Vukojebina in Serbian literally means Where wolves fuck, meaning Godforsaken place.

Characters

VUKOJE, 75

IVANA Vukojes wife, 70

RADIA their elder son, 50

BRANKA Radias wife, 45

SAA their son, 25

SLOBODAN Vukojes second son, 45

PETRA Slobodans wife, 40

VUKOJE JUNIOR their son, 20

MILICA Vukojes daughter, 48

BOKO Milicas husband, 60

DIMITRIJE priest

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Scene: a village house front yard. In the middle of thescene there are two walnut trees. Under one of themthere is a table. On it an almost empty bottle of home-made brandy and two glasses. Next to the table thereis a bench stool and two chairs. Nearby there are sev-eral logs for sitting. On the right side of the scene wesee the faade of a typical house from the Moravariver region with steps leading to the porch at the en-trance. Next to the steps there is a yoke for carryingmilk pails. Under the porch there is a door leading tothe basement. Next to it a milk pail hangs from awooden stake. In the background there is a woodenfence and gate, outlines of the distant mountains.There is a place for storing the wood, an axe in thelog. Other household buildings can be vaguely madeout. There are some tools and objects belonging to ahumble hill village household. An electric cable runsfrom the house to the table where a lamp hangs froma walnut branch. Occasionally, during the play, a wal-nut falls from the tree. Voices which contribute to theearly morning village atmosphere.

Our time.

Scene One(ivana and Vukoje)

IVANA (Comes out onto the porch, takes an old pot,descends the steps, passes the table, stops, looks atthe bottle, makes a couple of steps, looks back at theporch, approaches the table, takes the stopper outof the bottle, takes a swig, puts the stopper back,wipes her mouth with a sleeve and leaves the scene,waddling. Her voice calling the chickens is heard. Sheis back after a short while. Cows are mooing. Shelooks in that direction.) Ill be there, now Granny i-

vanall milk you in a minute. (She waddles up theporch, puts down the pot, takes the pail and puffingtiredly goes back, stops at the table, hesitates a fewmoments, then leaves the scene talking to herself.)My beauties, grannys coming Be patient, my littlemilkiesVUKOJE (Comes onto the porch, stretches, looks upchecking the weather, comes down and stops half-way, puts his hands to his mouth and yells a fewtimes): Golubeeee! Oi, Golubeeee! (To himself, de-scending.) You alive, laddy? (Looks up towards thewalnuts, circles them proudly). My sons, you grewhigh, spread (melancholically) Oh, well, if thosedown there, your peers too Rose high up, and onlyone branch broken I am afraid A storm couldbreak a branch in no time (Crosses himself.) Godforbid! Protect them, God (Picks a leaf, crushes itbetween his hands, smells it.) It makes my headspin Fills my soulEh, life, life. (Sits at the table,looks at the bottle, shakes his head suspiciously,pours some brandy in a glass, puts a packet of ciga-rettes on the table, takes a cigarette and lights it,drinks from the glass with pleasure.)IVANA (Returns carrying the heavy pail. Reproach-ingly.): Are you out of your mind, Vukoje! Every morn-ing you call to this deaf Golub VUKOJE: Deaf, so what?IVANA (Reproachingly.): You do it to wind me upYoure yelling like some town crier.VUKOJE: No, cmon, ivana What wind up? I wantto hear I am still alive, that I dont have a cobweb overmy mouthIVANA: Well, you dont, you dont! Dont you worry,Vukoje! Youve been washing it out since early morn-ingVUKOJE: So, why dont you grab one too?IVANA: Ooph, no way! Ive been tripping and drag-

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ging this bucket even without that Still have thebread to makeVUKOJE (Points towards the neighbours house.):Make some for him, poor sodIVANA: You burden me with him, tooVUKOJE (Good-naturedly): Its a good deed, ivanaHes our neighbourIVANA (Mumbling): Good deed Good deed (Re-proachingly.) Why dont we open a bakery, feed thewhole village (Loudly) Look, I am all humpVUKOJE: You are, surely, like a yokeIVANA (Touchy, quarrelsomely.): Yeah, its a goodthing I still havent snapped in half with all thats onmy shouldersVUKOJE (Mischievously.): Yeah, well, when you wereon your back it wasnt like that, eh?!... And now(Singing) Now those days are gone, my love.IVANA: What are you on about, damn you? Shameon you!VUKOJE: Wha? Whos gonna hear me? my sons,grandsons, neighbours maybe? No-one, theres no-one, ivana No-one No-one No-one to passdown the lane, no-one to bid us good day, or to curseme properly at least We could walk around the yardnakedIVANA: Whoah! You are totally gone You mustvestepped on a big crack. Look at yourself, you oldwreck VUKOJE: Whos a wreck?! Me? (Showing off.) I canstill, Vukoje still can (Puts his hands on his hips, andlike a cockerel, starts flapping his wings and pranc-ing.)IVANA: Dear Lord, hes gaga! (Reproachingly.) Stopprancing, crazy oaf! (Going towards the steps.) Dontforget to wean the calves. They could oversuck.(Looks back. Laughing.) And stop fooling around, oldman, your pants will fall off. (Enters the house.)

VUKOJE (Looks after her, confused. To himself, shak-ing his heads): Well, yes, almost down (Leans over,picks up a walnut, sits at the table, cracks it, studiesit. While doing this, he hums a folk song: Falling,falling leaves. Looking at the walnut.) A real brain!More like two. With four sides, and a man has onlytwo. Thats why its more cleverer. Sure DoubleWhere it grows from thats where it puts roots. Whilea man, you push him, he just rolls over A brain, man!Of course! Hm Yes (Pours a drink and slowlydrinks it up. Lights a cigarette and smokes peacefully.Pensively.) You push him he rolls. YeahWhy do Iyell, she says. To not go dumb, to not have my mouthrot. Wreck, me? No way, I aint giving up yet (While heis observing himself he continues to hum the sametune.) Vukoje still can do it. In my soul I am still (Hes-itating.) The mirror screwed me. I expect to see thatfirm, youthful face I see in myself, but theres al-ways that face, wrinkled like some Gypsys bellows,of my Peter that greets me. I touch my cheeks, theone in the mirror does the same. I stare at him, hestares at me. I see, its me, but still as if its not, as ifI am him. I feel like smashing it. (Sighing.) Peter, myPeter God bless you, youve lived a long one, withus. (Pensively.) How long? Eighty Eighty-twoEnough, I swear. A lot, plenty. (Suddenly aware of hisage.) Why enough?! (Worrying.) I am about to hiteighty. Yes, of course. Yep In a few years Ill be kiss-ing a priests beard too! Phew, bloody hell! Phew. Thatwent fast. Years passed in a flash. Where did it all go?Fuck life. Its gone. Peter was right when he said thatwhatever has an end, no matter how long it is, does-nt last long. Yep, short Peter, short, indeed I cansee now that its short. And the brain cheats andcheats Lying bastard. Fuck the cheat! (Philosophi-cally.) My soul craves and wants. My double. (Smil-ing.) It looks like its time for him to retire. (Pensively,

proudly.) For sure, we have worked hard enough -plenty! (Shaking his head.) Hell retire. (Gently hits histhigh.) And me? (Looks towards the door.) And us?When shall we? Ill (Decisively.) I will, I swear toGod (Hesitantly.) And yet, again, I reckon, its tooearly. I feel I can still, like once upon a time, grab anox by the horns, twist its head and throw it on its back.Yet, the calves knock me down, slip out of my hands.(Suddenly remembers.) The calves! Damn it, myheads gone! Screw my brain (Shaking his head.) Mydear Vukoje, youre not good enough even to make abent cane. (Gets up and quickly goes towards the cowshed, yelling.) Golubeee! Hey, Golubeeee! (Whisper-ing to himself.) You still moving, Golub?IVANA (Comes out onto the porch. Hears him,crosses herself.): Oh, Lord! There he goes, my crierVUKOJE (While leaving the scene.): Can your deafears hear it, Golub...?IVANA is busy, now in now out of the house. Silence on the stage, as if the time has stopped. VOICE (Off, from a distance.): Vukojeee! Hey, Vuko-jeee! Are you alive, Vukojeee! Cant hear youooo! Su-uuure! Suuure!IVANA (Looks towards the voice, nods ironically.):Town criers. To hell with you. Long ago youSilence for a few moments.VUKOJE (Behind the scene, moaning.): ivana! Hey,ivana! ivana!IVANA (Scared, from the porch.): Vukoje!? (Descendsquickly, mumbles.): Dear me, dear me, have thecalves trampled him? My poor Vukoje. (Loudly, run-ning towards his voice.) Whats happened, Vukoje?Here I come! I am running, running, Vukoje!VUKOJE (Painfully): Hurry up, woman. Faster, ivana!Faster! (Laughing.) My pants fell off, ivana!IVANA (Stops abruptly. Puts her hands on her hips.Crosses herself and starts walking back, approaches

the table, sits, tired and takes a good swig from thebottle. Reproachingly.): Well, you are completelygone

(Light curtain)

Scene Two

The same scene as before. Some other morning.(ivana and Vukoje)

IVANA comes onto the porch carrying a pot with food,puffs occasionally, descends, passes the table, stopsand looks at the table, steps towards it, then changesher mind and waddles to the background of thescene. We can hear her calling and feeding chickens. VUKOJE (Comes out of the house, stretches, looks atthe sky, shakes his head as if talking to somebody,then, with a smile, descends the steps, returns, takesa cap from the porch, brings it near the table, picksa leaf from the walnut crumples it between hishands and smells it deeply. Puts his hands togetheraround his mouth and as every morning calls out.):Ooooi! (Changes his mind, flaps his hand dismis-sively, sits, takes a bottle, lifts it to look at, stares atit.) You are almost finished too. How fast you went,damn you. (Sits on the chair semi-turned towards theaudience, puts a packet of cigarettes on the table,clumsily takes one out, looks at his fingers andshakes his head while lighting it, enjoys the first pull.Coughs, takes a swig from the bottle.)VOICE (From the distance, behind the stage.): Youalive, Vukojeee!? Cant hear youooo! Yeeeah,yeeeeah!VUKOJE (To himself.): You will, you will, Golub. Eventhe deaf will hear this.

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(IVANA is back. Huffs and puffs. Glances at Vukojeand turns her head the other way while passing him.)VUKOJE: Huffin and puffin. You still at it?(IVANA stops and looks at him angrily, continueshesitantly.)VUKOJE (Smiling.): What are you, ivana a womanor whiner? IVANA (Stops. Angrily.): What am I? (Sobbingly.) Rightnow I am: harvester, thresher, whiner. Whatever youmade of me, you cruel bastard.VUKOJE (Pours some brandy and drinks it up. Apolo-getically.): To warm me up. Nippy these mornings. IVANA (Ironically.): Yeah, sure, nippy. (Reproach-ingly.) Youve grabbed that bottle again. (Sobbingly.)What should I, poor me, grab? VUKOJE (Jokingly.): Neck one down! (Pours the sec-ond glass.) You huffed and puffed all night. (Gives herthe glass. Laughing.) Take it, get some steam. IVANA (Puts the pot down on the ground, approachesthe table but does not take the glass.): How could you,Vukoje? You could at least have left the calves. (Cry-ing.) How can I go to an empty cow shed now?VUKOJE: Then dont. No-ones forcing you. No, no-oneIVANA: Years and habit are forcing me, you cruelsoul! (Crying.) For 50 years Ive first attended the cat-tle. Talked to them, patted them, spoilt them like chil-dren, and you? You are a disaster, ruined our housefor some stone slabs.VUKOJE (Smiling, giving her the full glass.): Listen tome, woman; neck it down(IVANA takes the glass and drains it.)VUKOJE: There! Good, woman, good! Understand onething, ivana; first, they are not stone slabs. Marble!First class marble, you silly woman! You think theywould erect such a monument for us! Some kind forsure something simple Bah.

IVANA: I dont careVUKOJE: Well, you see, I do! I want everyone to knowthat Vukoje and ivana Milenkovi have been in thisworld. That they lived honestly and carried their bur-den to the end. I want my descendants to know whattheir roots were like. So that they are not ashamed ofus. IVANA: When I die they can throw me into the creekif they want. I dont careVUKOJE (Jokingly.): Your Vukoje wont allow it! Hesgonna fix you nicely. Not a lump of earth will fall on myivana. IVANA (Looks at him angrily, spitefully.): Well, well!You are gonna fix Ive got childrenVUKOJE: Weve got them, you mean. And where arethey, eh? For the whole year not one has calledIVANA: Theyve got their own worriesVUKOJE (Follows his thought.): If they had any theywould have remembered ours too. For example,Radia I understand him; busy around the house.But, the doctor, he could. At least he knows what oneneeds at our ageNo-one, no-one, man! Nobody.IVANA: You left her out again! When you curse herVUKOJE: Milica left herself out at birth We gave birthto someone elses luck, womanIVANA: Ours, ours, Vukoje! Dont sin like that.VUKOJE (Pacifyingly.): Fine, then shes ours Thenagain, shes not, being a girl.IVANA: For each son you planted a walnut in front ofthe house. For Milica, an apple tree, behind thehouse.VUKOJE: My grandfather and my father did the same:for a boy, sure a walnut. To put the roots deep down,to branch. To be hard! For a girl, thats sure too; anapple tree. Of course. To be healthy, pink, fruitfulandto be sweet. (Pours another glass.) TheMilenkovis have always done it like thatsure But,

lets knock one more down, eh? Sit, dont hover abovemy head.IVANA: Hope it kills you! Poison wouldve been bet-ter. (Takes her glass and sits on a log further awayfrom him.)VUKOJE (Pacifyingly.): Cmon, dont be angry. I loveMilica too, but shes not the stick to lean on. IVANA (Accusingly.): You wanted a third son tooIknow you, Vukoje, like an old penny.VUKOJE: I admit; I did. Three walnuts in front of thehouse, the thicker the shade. (Jokingly.) If only I hadhad a brain to accompany that strength, now a walnutforest would rustle aroundIVANA (Bitterly vengefully.): I hope it all goes wrong.(Drains her glass, gets up, kicks the bench and startstowards the house.)VUKOJE (Looks at the bench. As if threatening.): Dontpoke the devil, ivana! Stop!(IVANA stops. Looks at him baffled.) VUKOJE (Pacifyingly.): All right, fine Have you ventedyour anger? HmyesYou know what, why dont youkill a couple of chicks for the soup?! IVANA (Ironically.): Eh?! Eh?VUKOJE (Seriously. ): Theres no eh. We are havingguests for lunch IVANA: What guests?VUKOJE (Mysteriously.): Guests. (Hesitates.) WellYouknow, damn it, what guests are? (With relief.) Theworkers that are erecting the tombstone, digging ourgraves.IVANA (Shocked): What graves, damn you! Youhavent that, too!VUKOJE (Jokingly): Ours. Nice, bordered by bricksIVANA (Returns to the table.): God and his angelshelp you! Where have you heard that graves are dugfor the living? Tombstone, fine, many in the villageBut You are joking, Vukoje?

VUKOJE (Jokingly): When you go there, in all my griev-ing I wont be able to hold a shovel and? There wontbe anybody, woman, to dig it. IVANA: How did you get this drunk this fast, man? Asmart man doesnt even greet great luck too loudly,but you call out to bad luck and open the gates to wel-come it. (Approaches the table and takes the bottle.Leaves.) VUKOJE: Leave it there! Bring it back! What bad luck?I see what you cant or dont want to see. (Sternly.) Iknow. (Pacifyingly.) Go and do as I say; soup and stew.Dragomir will put the piglet on the spit, beer and wineare in the cellarand And, make plenty, someoneelse might stop byIVANA (Stares at him for a long time, leaves the bot-tle, shrugs, goes towards the house): You are not allthere. Rot MadmanWhere else could you hearsuch things? Oh! VUKOJE (To himself.): Well, this one will be heard ofand remembered Sure! (Bitterly.) It will be told aslong as the Milenkovis live (Slowly, enjoying, drinksfrom the glass. Tries to get the cigarette severaltimes. Looks at it.) Knucklesare you giving up onme, eh? As if youre not mine.IVANA (Comes out of the house, descends. Holds abig knife. Passes near Vukoje.): Does it have to be two? VUKOJE (As she passes. Jokingly.): Away with thatknife, woman! Back off! And pick the fat ones.IVANA (Approaching the chicken coop.): Time hassucked our that little salt you had in your noggin. Poorme, what has my grey head done to deserve this!Graves for the living?! Oh! I knew you were crazy,butYouve gone totally madVUKOJE (After her.): Stop nagging, hurry up!(Chickens are nervously clucking.)VUKOJE, obviously edgy, does not know what to do.Gets up, sits, then gets up again. Lights a cigarette al-

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though one is burning in the ashtray.)(There is the sound of a car arriving.)VUKOJE (Lifts the knocked-over bench, places it nextto the table): Here they are. Well, pull yourself to-gether, Vukoje(ivana is back. Carries two dead chickens. )(Behind the scene: a car approaches. Stops. Engineis turned off. Doors opening and closing.)

(The same characters plus Radia, Branka and Saa.)BRANKA (Behind the scene starts wailing.): Woe,Vukoje, our kind host! Woe, our foundation! Alas! Alas,my dear father-in-law! Woe!IVANA (Jumps in surprise, turns towards the voice,drops the chickens and the knife, hurries towards thegate. Scared.): Vukoje?! Vukoje, you hear this!? Chil-dren! Our children! Poor me Whats this!? (Leavesthe scene running towards the voices.)VUKOJE (Gets up and sits several times.): Radiasfamily Branka is the first to wailBRANKA (Behind the scene.): Radia, let me go, formy father-in-law, like my own father Woe, Vukoje,my fine host! Whos going to meet us, greet us, wewho are so sad?IVANA (Behind the scene.): Branka!? Why, my child!?Stop, dont! Whats wrong with you?!RADIA (Behind the scene.): Let her wail, its fineSo sudden, mother, hows that? Vukoje dead!? DearGod!IVANA: Vukoje who?RADIA: Ours. Our father, motherIVANA: No! Not Vukoje, my son God forbid! Poorme! Quiet, children! Mistake Must be a mistakeHes alive. Hes alive, I swear on my Milica! Dontalarm the village (She is telling them something qui-etly while they come onto the stage.) (While approaching the table.)

RADIA (Carries a wreath.): You dont say?! For sure?We got the wire! Oh, my God, my God Alive, you say?But But it must be he whoBRANKA (Carries flowers, dressed in black.): Notdead? Eh? Really? But you areOh my God, you arecrazy Radia, lets go home! (Turns towards the gateas if leaving.)SAA: Whats wrong with you, mother? As if you aresorry grandfather isnt? What kind of people are you?RADIA (Angrily, gives him the wreath.): Take it andnot a word, you dont want something to break yourshouldersSAA (As if hurt.): Is it my fault? (Takes the wreath.)Im going to give it personally to grandpa(RADIA looks at him threateningly.)VUKOJE (Comes to meet them, then stops. Shieldshis eyes with his hand. As if surprised.): Hey! You, chil-dren!?RADIA (Stands and stares at him. Hesitates.): You?!Is that you, Vukoje?! Eh, Vukoje, my Vukoje!VUKOJE: What, my son?RADIA: This is your messIVANA: Hes totally gone. Birds picked his brain.VUKOJE (Shrugs): What mess? I am happy youvecome to visit, but you (As if disappointed.) By theway If my eyes are not deceiving me you are off tosomeones funeralRADIA: Yours, damn you! (Takes the wreath fromSaa and angrily throws it on the dead chicken. Ap-proaching him.) Your funeral, Vukoje. Should I hit youor (Sobbing, embraces him.) Vukoje, my Vukoje! Big,bad VukojeVUKOJE: You dont say, my funeral?! Phew, damn it!(Surprised.) Mine, you say? I am still See. (Smiling.)Maybe I am a vampire, eh? (Wriggles out of embrace.Hugs Saa.) And where are you, my boy?! You forgotthe old man, eh?

SAA: No, grandpa, I havent but you know Univer-sity examsVUKOJE: That black looks nice, my dear And, boy, areyou good at wailing! A man doesnt have to regret dying. BRANKA: Just so you know, I wont shed a single tearfor you ever again!VUKOJE: You do that, my dear. (Jokingly.) To be hon-est, I dont much trust womens tearsRADIA: Why like this, dad, why? Why telegrams,damn you Vukoje?VUKOJE Innocently, as if surprised.): What telegrams?What are you talking about? Who, me? Cmon! Iwouldnt do that.RADIA (Shows him the paper.): And whats this?!VUKOJE: What do I know. Some paperRADIA: Telegram, telegram, Vukoje! BRANKA: Cant you see, my love, that grandpas play-ing the foolIVANA: Some dark devil possessed himRADIA (Grumpily.): Have you any idea, dad, what analarm? Oh, my word! And Milica too?VUKOJE (Innocently.): Who, me? What? I seeeee(Pointing at ivana.) Shes been nagging about how Ilove Milica less. But IIVANA (Waving her fists.): Have you done the samewith her, damn you? Poor me, what have we done todeserve this, my children? Madman! Alas, poor me!VUKOJE: Enough, woman, stop wailing, if I take thatyoke, the children might not have come in vain!RADIA (To Saa.): Call Slobodan, tell him not to dragthat (Feels embarrassed to say what.) Wellhe candump it somewhereSAA (Tries on the mobile.): No signal. NoneBRANKA: How embarrassingVUKOJE: What do you mean embarrassing, my dear?Well, have a seat. Have a rest Why not? One day itsgoing to happen

IVANA: Hes ready for the asylum!VUKOJE (Threatening.): Ive told you what to do! Itllbe dark before you moveIVANA (Confused.): It will, it will, dear God Alas!BRANKA: I have to take this off (Points to the blackdress.) Its suffocating meIVANA (Confused.): There, there in the house Takeit off You used to bring (Picks up the chicken andthey go towards the house together.) Holy mother,why was I born Better to be a stoneThis madmansdisturbing my children.(The sound of a car approaching.)RADIA: Thats Slobodan (To Saa.) Go. Preparethem.(SAA runs to the gate.)(VUKOJE shuffles nervously. Starts. Feels like runningaway.)RADIA: Stop! Where are you going?VUKOJE (Confused.): To take it to the basement(Points to the wreath.)RADIA (Grabs his sleeve.): Wait, big, bad Vukoje. Lethim be. You created the stormVUKOJE: Let go, Radia. You know what Slobodanslike Hell thunder(The sound of car doors.)RADIA: Ive never understood, Vukoje, why you re-spect Slobodans word more than mine. I can see youare still afraid of himVUKOJE: Nope! I am not afraid of him, but of the doc-tor Ive always been afraid of them. They are notjust Human lives are in their hands.RADIA: Hes your son.VUKOJE: Yeah, I know, but Let go! (While leavingwith the wreath.) Go, meet him. Calm him down,pleaseRADIA: Oh, people, people, what a silly old man!Even if he were the President, hed still be your son.

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(Goes to meet Slobodan, Petra and Vukoje Junior.)(VUKOJE quickly enters the basement.) (The same, plus Petra and Vukoje Junior.)SAA (While entering the scene.): I dont know, uncle,I dont understand mushrooms, reallySLOBODAN (Merrily.): He has risen from the dead, yousay? (Proudly.) You hear this, Pepi?SAA: Somehow, the mans up, on his feetVUKOJE JUNIOR (Ironically.): Like LazarusRADIA (Approaching them.): So you are here(Greets them. To Vukoje Junior.) You are tall, eh? Abasketball player.SLOBODAN (To Vukoje and Saa.): Do you see whatwe are made of? Not even an axe can harm ourVukoje not to mention mushrooms.PETRA (Wearing a black tulle veil. To Radia, ironi-cally.): Dead, eh?SLOBODAN (To Saa.): Do you know what kind theyate?(SAA shrugs his shoulders looking at Radia.)PETRA (Ironically.): Probably the mad ones.VUKOJE JUNIOR (Jokingly.): Vukoje thought it was atruffle (To Saa.) You know, a bit of stimulation forSLOBODAN (To Vukoje, as if angry.): Ill give you stim-ulation (To Radia.) Hows dad?RADIA (Looks at them confused.): When he heardthe car he ran for the basementSLOBODAN: Isnt he in bed?PETRA: I told you that mushrooms would be the endof them one day, but no-one was listening. And i-vana, her too?SAA: NoI guess notRADIA (To Saa.): What nonsense did you tell them?What mushrooms, rubbish?! They are fine. It lookslike Vukoje himself sent us the telegramsSLOBODAN (Stops surprised.): What are you talkingabout, Radia? How? Him? Why would he? Is he out

of his mind? (Furiously.) God damn it! (Calms down.Pensive.) But, is it possible? (Laughing.) Thats him!He really did it (To Radia.) Well, I suspected rightaway, but you (Looks at Saa.) Mushrooms, eh?SAA (To Vukoje Junior.): Shall we get out of the way,cousin So, how are you?VUKOJE JUNIOR: All sorts Like, I am studying, play-ing a bit, like I am fine Like, totally zoning(Takes out his mobile and the earphones. Puts oneearphone in his ear. He keeps it like that all the time.Apologetically.) I thought on our way back (Nods to-wards the parents.) Just not to hear them You know,I am crazy about music SAA: Have you got your band?(Vukoje Junior. Nods but it is not clear whether he isanswering Saa or following the rhythm.)PETRA: What shall we do with the coffin, the wreaths?We are not going to drag them back, are we?RADIA: Id put it on his shoulders, sister, so he can,just like Jesus with the cross, carry it through the vil-lagePETRA: Yeah, trueSLOBODAN (Approaching the table. As if angry.): Oi,host! Hey, Vukoje! Vukoje! Come out, host!IVANA (Comes out, wipes her hands on the apron.Confused, smiling, though she feels like crying. De-scends cautiously.): Son! Children (Greets every-one.) That cursed man I didnt know, I swear on Mil-ica (Looks around for him.) Where did he scarperto? (Hugging grandchildren.) Grandmas boysSLOBODAN (Towards the basement.): Come out,Vukoje, you dont want me to come and get you, doyou?VUKOJE (Peers around the basement door.): Ill beright there Let me just pourIVANA: There he goes, curse him?! (To the others.)Every five minutes, there he goes to the basement

SLOBODAN: Come out, man! Come on, damn you, soI can (Laughing.) You stubborn head, so I can hugyou! PETRA (Whispering.): Dear Lord, hes gone, tooVUKOJE (Comes out hesitantly.): You really surprisedme, children (Approaches.)SLOBODAN (Hugs him tightly.): My dear Vukojemyhero (Ironically.) Surprised, you say? VUKOJE: Yup. For sure. No-one has called for a year,and today everybody (Hugs Vukoje and Saa.)Grandpas pride, youve come to see me (Sees anearphone in Vukoje Juniors ear. Hugs Petra.) How areyou, my daughter? Come, have a seat (Sits at thetable.)PETRA (. Grumpily while greeting ivana.): Nice job,nice, pa!IVANA: Can you see, my son, whats this crazy manSLOBODAN (While hugging her.): MotherVukoje isVukojeIVANA (Crying): Ruined our household Devastatedour stablesSLOBODAN (As if naively, whispering to Vukoje.): Anyidea who could have send the telegrams?VUKOJE (Whispering.): I suspect, I suspect, dear me(Loudly.) Probably one of the cattle traders, for re-venge cos I wouldnt sell him my cattlePETRA (Suspiciously shakes her head.): Sure, traders,sure.RADIA (To ivana, whispering. ): Has he sold thecalves?SLOBODAN (Confidentially to Vukoje.): Do you thinkthat He also sent Milica a telegram?VUKOJE (To Slobodan, whispering.): I guess so. (ToRadia.) Well, we too watch TV, Radia. I see, cowsare going mad around the world too, and to be hon-est, ours were acting strange, so I said, let me get ridof them while theres time

IVANA: Children, hes totally (Gestures that hesgone crazy.)SAA (Provokingly jokingly.): How about bird andswine flu? You forgot about that, grandpaVUKOJE JUNIOR: Man, even animals hit backVUKOJE: Well, yeah. (Jokingly.) Have you ever heardthat a bull or an ox went crazy? No, man, only women.PETRA (To herself): Endurance has its limits.SAA (Laughs, hugs him.): Grandpa, my grandpaIVANA (To Slobodan.): You are the doctor, here he is,cure him. PETRA: Him?! He is crazier than Vukoje!SLOBODAN: If he were an appendix, or a hernia, Icould operate. (Shrugs.) But like thisPETRA (Enviously.): Character can not be operated oneven with a scalpel SLOBODAN (Looks at her angrily. To Radia. ): Letsunload the bags first. (They start. To the boys.) Youcould help us too!IVANA: Good, good, so that the neighbours dont see.VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa, while they follow Radiaand Slobodan.): Its nice hereSAA: Nice, but in the middle of nowhere, brother.(Laughing.) Totally vuked place! Not even a mobilecanVUKOJE JUNIOR: Ideal(Slobodan and Radia are back carrying the coffin.)SLOBODAN (To the boys.): You get the rest!(Vukoje Junior and Saa leave the scene chatting.)VUKOJE (Gets up and goes to meet Radia and Slobo-dan.): Shall I help?RADIA (Angrily.): Youve helped enoughVUKOJE (Approaches the coffin, takes a look.):Fancy I swear, you were not cheap! Though its notmy taste. Ive made my own of walnut. (Knocks on it.) Chipboard. Nice on the outside, poor on the inside.Fakeish. (Loudly.) Its nice and it fits ivanas taste.

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(Laughing.) She cant wait to see me lie in there!SLOBODAN (Laughing.): Where shall we put it?IVANA (Spits and crosses herself.): God has takenaway what little brain you hadVUKOJE: Take it to the basement! Put it next to mine.On the barrels!(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR come back, while Slobo-dan and Radia take the coffin into the basement.)SAA (Carries the wreath and candles.): I dont un-derstandVUKOJE JUNIOR (Carries a cross.): Business, brother.We could make stacks here. SAA (Ironically.): I see Vukoje got rich.VUKOJE JUNIOR: We could.SAA: I dont get itVUKOJE JUNIOR: Cannabis, man. Cannabis plants. Atleast a ton. (Enthusiastically.) You know how muchmoney that is, man?!SAA: You are joking(VUKOJE JUNIOR laughs, one cant conclude what ishe thinking about.)VUKOJE (Approaches and studies the cross.): Hey, Iam glad to see you this smiley! Grandpas happy.Yeah, yeah It looks wooden But the second num-ber still has to rise(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR are laughing, hugginghim.)VUKOJE (Touched.): Grandpas heroes! (Takes thecross and the rest.) Ill put this in some corner, andyou run to the bus station, maybe Milicas coming.(Takes the things from them and goes to the base-ment, while Slobodan and Radia are coming out ofit. To the grandsons.) Do you know where the stationis?(RADIA Angrily clears his throat, Slobodan smiles.They approach the table and sit.)VUKOJE JUNIOR: No worries, grandpa, well find our

way! (While they leave the scene, he addresses Saain confidential tone.) I can easily find cannabis seeds. BRANKA (Comes out of the house. She has swappedher black clothes for normal ones.): Oh, the city folkare here too? That was fast, wasnt it?PETRA (While exchanging greetings.): Boba drove asifas if Vukojes going to escape from him!BRANKA: I also screamed at Radia: Easy, love,slowly And him, just to irritate me push, push, footto the floor. (To Slobodan, while they greet eachother.) You are two of a kind. Where are the kids?VUKOJE (Returns from the basement with a full bot-tle. Puts it on the table.): Now then, my boys, weshould have a toast. (To ivana.) Bring some extraglasses!BRANKA: Ill do it, grandma. (Enters the house.) SLOBODAN: Shall we wait for everyoneVUKOJE (Naively.): Why, have you invited yourcousins? (As if threatening.) It looks like you havebeen plotting(PETRA laughs ironically.)RADIA: Oh, people! You are really (Takes out thetelegram and shows it to Slobodan.) Did I write this:Vukoje dead. Let everybody know ivana.VUKOJE: And you accuse me It was her whoIVANA: Dear me, dear me, in my name, you fool!(Goes for him clenching her fists.)VUKOJE (As if frightened.): Hold her back! Shell getme Shes got cocky.SLOBODAN: Sit down, mother! We all knowIVANA (To Vukoje.): Damn you, I mean damn you! For-get sitting, children. Ive got to fix the chicken. (Entersthe house grumbling.) VUKOJE (Laughing.): Hurry up theyll escape!SLOBODAN (To Petra.): Pepi, you could give her ahand.PETRA (Arrogantly.): Hm. Me?! (Moves away from the

table and sits on the log crossing her legs demonstra-tively.) (The same, and Milica, Boko, Saa and Vukoje. )MILICA (Enters the scene red in the face and visibly ag-itated. She wears black. In one hand she carries a can-dle and a black handbag, in the other a large travel-ling bag. She waves with her candle angrily.): What kindof people are we?! Not even death is sacred anymore!Does he have a soul? Oh! We should report him to thepolice! Let them find him! In jail, to prison with him!VUKOJE JUNIOR (Walks next to her, falls back a bit,takes the bag handle.): People are bad, auntie.BOKO (Runs behind them, tripping. He is visiblyolder than Milica. He is short-sighted, wears thickglasses. He carries, clumsily, a wreath which tripshim.): Thats right! We should, right away True, peo-ple are very, very twisted.SAA (Tries to grab the wreath, to help him, but hewont let him.): Cmon, let me help you, uncle!BOKO: No, thanks I can do it, cousinRADIA (While they approach.): Heres Milica and hersoloist! I bet hes already tipsy.VUKOJE: Dont be like that, Radia! Thats the way heis hes my grandchildrens father and your kidsuncleSLOBODAN (Jokingly.): You know what they say: Who-ever drinks has no bad thoughts. (Gets up and goesto greet them.)RADIA (He is about to say something to Slobodan,then changes his mind. To Vukoje.): The worst pig getsthe best apple.VUKOJE (Shrugs.): Well, now Everyone thinks hehimself is the apple.MILICA (Passes next to Slobodan towards Vukoje.):First Ill greet dad (Crying.) Who sinned like this,dad? (Hugs and kisses him.) My dad All nightIOhThank God!

BOKO (Approaches Slobodan.): My condolences,Bobo. (The wreath prevents him from hugging him,but he continues to hold it. To Radia.) Honestly Eh,cousin, my cousin (Tearfully.) Dear cousin, we onlygather under these circumstance.SLOBODAN (Confused.): Thank you. (Looks at theyoung men, shakes his head. Everybody laughs.)MILICA (Greets everybody. To Petra.): You are wear-ing well, my dear. Tell me the secret, please. (Not wait-ing for the answer.) Alas, I am all. I am burning.Maybe its because of the medicine.BOKO (Greets Vukoje.): My deepest (Gives him thewreath.) From my from us (Looks surprised.) Butyou areVUKOJE: Yes, I am, my son-in-law (Gives the wreathto Vukoje Junior. To Milica.) And your children?MILICA: My kids? The kids are big, dad, they dontwant to hang round with us. (Points towards Boko.Greets Radia and Slobodan.) My brothers, the olderthe more handsome. (To Petra.) Isnt it so?PETRA (Ironically.): More handsome and younger. Ha,ha, ha.VUKOJE (To himself.): The kids will get distant Ithought everyone would today InsteadBOKO (About to greet Saa. Then remembers.): Ah,weve already (Looks confused. To Vukoje Junior.)Whens the funeral?VUKOJE JUNIOR (Shrugs. Gives him the wreath.): Thisis yours, uncle.MILICA: Theres no funeral! (Emphasizing.) No fu-neral, Boko!BOKO (Confused, moves the wreath from one handto another.): What do you mean, no funeral? Are welate?RADIA: You are early, cousin.BOKO (No-one is ever sure whether he is actingnaively, drunk or he is just provoking. As if worried.):

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Early? Is he suffering, poor man?! (Philosophically.)The soul cant leave the sinful body that easilyWont! Earthly sins have to be repented. Ive readabout it. The human subconscious, my dear cousinMILICA (Disturbed.): Oh, Lord! Leave that wreath alone,man! Youre gripping it like a blind man his cane!BOKO (Takes the wreath and leans it against thewalnut tree. He carefully arranges the ribbons.):Early? Why? All right, well wait. (Sits at the table.) (Everyone laughs.)VUKOJE (Laughing.): Itll take some time, coz.BOKO (Looks confused, when they all stop laughing,he starts. His laughter is strange, shaky and unsure.Apologetically.): Fine, I have nothing to do back home,anyway. (Looks at the bottles.) Lets have a drink forthe soul. (Reaches for it.)MILICA (Stops his hand.): Look, Boko, dad is alive.(Moves the bottles to the other side of the table.)BOKO (As if remembering.): Ahhhh! (Looks around.)Wheres ivana?MILICA: No-one has died here, Boko!BOKO (Confused.): But we got the wire! (As if wor-ried.) Weve missed it. (To Milica.) I told you not to getoff the bus, and youMILICA (As if apologizing.): Oh, Lord! While I was buy-ing the tickets he took the opportunity to And oneglass is too much. (To Boko.) Thank the Lord every-one is alive and well. (To Radia.) Mother?RADIA: In the house, with Branka.MILICA: Ill get changed too.VUKOJE (To the boys, pointing to the wreath.): Take itto the basement. (SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR take the wreath andmarch with it into the basement. )BRANKA (Arrives carrying a tray with sugar cubes andglasses of water. Meets Milica, they kiss.): Have youseen what hes done to us

MILICA: Forget it. At least weve got together. I would-nt recognise your children if I met them.BRANKA (Approaches the table.): Youre right Well,help yourself. For father-in-laws soul.RADIA (Accusingly.): Branka! BRANKA: All right, love. (To Boko.) Hello, my dearestcousin! (Whispering, stubbornly.) For grandpas soul.BOKO (Confused.): Are you fooling with me?PETRA: If he had one would he do this to us?BRANKA: Nowould I do this to my cousin Goahead, help yourself!BOKO (Refuses to take water.): Thank you. I dontlike it even from a shoe. (Leaning towards Petra.) Youare wrong, Pepi. Stone too, even a flint stone has onetoo. When you strike it its soul lights up. VUKOJE (Looks at him.): Hm. Lights up, sure. (Pen-sively.) Yes, when you strike it. (Melancholically.) So,this is how its going to be one day

(Dark)

Scene Third

Noon

The same as earlier. There are a few plates with saladand cheese on the table, some glasses. Bottles ofbeer. The men are sitting at the table plus Petra andBranka. ivana and Milica are in the house. Occa-sionally they come out onto the porch busying them-selves around lunch. RADIA (Looks towards the house. Winks at Brankaindicating that she should go to help the otherwomen.): Branka...(BRANKA winks back indicating Petra, whos sittingher cross-legged, looking angry and staring into the

distance. She copies her pose, demonstratively.)RADIA (Shrugs and shakes his head.): Oh, dear, dearme, people.(The same characters plus Dimitrije.)(DIMITRIJE enters through the gate in a hurry. Hisvestments flapping. Goes to the table.)IVANA (Notices him from the porch.): Poor me, poorme! My crazy man called the priest too! (Crosses her-self and spits.)VUKOJE (Looks towards the gate. Laughing.): St. Peterinformed him pretty fast, eh? (Goes to meet him.)Dimitrije. Where did you come from?DIMITRIJE: Good day, good people! Here, I wanted tostop byVUKOJE: Good, good. You are welcomeDIMITRIJE (Panting.): Well, my Vukoje, things are notgood with me. (Looks around as if counting all ofthem. To the young ones.) God give you all the best!(Wipes his forehead.) I see I see you all gathered.Good, good.(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR nod in greeting.)IVANA (Descends the stairs and moves towards thetable wiping her hands on the apron.): The childrenhave come to visit us. We are all here, thank God.RADIA: God bless you, father!BRANKA (Approaches him and kisses his hand.): Godbless you, father!DIMITRIJE: God protect you, my daughter! (Looking atthe others who only wished him Good day.) You cansee whos from a good family. (A walnut falls, he takesit and breaks the shell.) Time to pick them.IVANA: No, it isnt! Vukoje wont permit anyone totouch his sons even with hands not to mentionhoes! He would kill me! Its better for me to raise myhand to the sacred tree than I collect only what fallsdown. The birds pick them more than He is not likeother people, you know

SAA: Radia wouldnt allow that either..VUKOJE JUNIOR (Jokingly.): Is it some kind of magic,voodoo?RADIA: Its the Milenkovis tradition that theirsons grow freely VUKOJE JUNIOR (Ironically, provokingly.): And wheremy walnut, Bobo?SLOBODAN (Surprised, confused.): Yours? Well,then (Sour smile.) You know where, in the botani-cal gardensVUKOJE JUNIOR (Provokingly.): There it can be beatenwith a stick?SLOBODAN (Avoiding the answer. To Dimitrije.): Howare you, Dimitrije?DIMITRIJE: As God wills, doctor! I look after Godsflock. Keep them together (To Branka.) Daughter,give me a glass of water, bless you. I am burning. (ToSlobodan.) I am more in the cemetery than in Godstemple.VUKOJE: Better bring him a beer! (To Dimitrije.) Orwould you rather some wine, father! (Jokingly.) But,your flock seems to be shrinking.DIMITRIJE: Beer? Beer is fine. Fine if its cold. (ToVukoje.) Gods will Gods will, Vukoje. Shrinkingdown here, growing up there. BRANKA: Anybody want me to bring something else?(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR raise two fingers, like inschool.) DIMITRIJE (To Slobodan and then to the others.): Be-lieve me, doctor, Ive forgotten the prayers that go withweddings and baptisms. Ive gone deaf from Abidewith Me. I repeat Dust, dust! in my dreams. If therewere more brain and luck in every house in the vil-lage people would sit like this. (With a sweep of hisarm he indicates all present.) Instead Just the oldand crippled Desert and misery This village hasbecome Moaningville. The old moan for a glass of

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water, for a piece of bread. To have and not to have.No-one to give them. Children dont hear them. Noteveryone is like Vukojes IVANA: Not, indeed. (Proudly.) Our children get on,respect each other, take care of usBRANKA (Looks back while going towards the base-ment.): Cousins dont feed cousins, but you arescrewed if you dont have one.DIMITRIJE: Its hard, hard, my God.IVANA: Vukoje and I taught them this from an earlyage. We used to split every fruit into five pieces. Now:what can I tell you, you can see for yourselfDIMITRIJE: Thank God, thank God, you did For manypeople children come back only to bury themthenthey run away from Jabukovo with closed eyes justnot to see how their houses are crumblingBOKO (He cups his ear with his hand to hear bet-ter.): Crumbling, crumbling! All countries are crum-bling just like that (Gets up.) It has never hap-pened in history thatIVANA: Children run away to wheres betterSLOBODAN (Proudly, to the young ones.): Theres notone house in Jabukovo without at least one univer-sity degree, and not to mention how many high schooldiplomas there are!VUKOJE (Whispering.): Children are doing better, butwhat about parents?DIMITRIJE: My Vukoje, our post-war peasant generationhas been sacrificed. (Laughing.) We, old people, we arethe collateral damage of collapsed Communism.BOKO (Following his thoughts.): Countries, dear gen-tlemen, can be brought down in two ways. Only two!Either through revolution, or someone stronger at-tacks and destroys them Its been the first time inhistory that our state and the USSR that the rulingpower destroys its own country. Those in power! (ToPetra.) Isnt it so, my dear?

PETRA (Waves her hands trying to defend herselffrom Bokos alcohol breath. Moving her chair fur-ther away.): Well, cousin, and not only the stateSAA: You are wrong, uncle! As far as I remember Yu-goslavs did it like brothers, with hoes and spades.BOKO: (Realises no-ones listening and sits.) Youdont understand it, my boy. Imperialists areBRANKA (She is back, carrying three bottles of beer.Gives one to Dimitrije and the others to Saa andVukoje Junior.): Shall I pour it in glasses?DIMITRIJE: No, thank you. Its nicer from the bottle.(Drinks thirstily.) Yes, good goes smooth. God blessyou, my daughter! You cooled it fine (Looks atPetras ribbon.) Who are you mourning, daughter?PETRA (Ironically.): My dear father-in-law(DIMITRIJE looks at Vukoje. Shrugs, confused.) IVANA (Hurriedly, to Dimitrije, to distract him fromPetra.): You havent told us why you cameDIMITRIJE (A bit embarrassed.): Well, I, like I was atthe cemetery I see workers digging a grave on yourplot, putting the bricks around, starting to erect thetombstone(SLOBODAN and RADIA exchange glances.)DIMITRIJE: Thenthen a car with a wreath on the roofpassed. Went to the village A bit later, there was an-other one. With a coffin on the roof. I reckoned, whocould that be? I know a few of them are well preparedto visit God, but no-one had told me anything. Nor didthe deacon ring the church bell this morningStrangeRADIA: The road goes through other villages tooDIMITRIJE: I know that, but (To Vukoje.) Someonesaid that your family was gathering, soBOKO: We came by bus forRADIA (Gives him the glass trying to stop him fromfinishing the sentence.): Cheers, cousin!BOKO (Takes the glass. About to spill a few drops on

the ground, but Radia grabs his hand.): To him!RADIA: To a lucky gathering, Boko! (Winks at him.)IVANA: Here, our children are hereDIMITRIJE: I met Vukoje at the fair yesterday, in town,but still What do I know; God decides the time. (Jok-ingly.) Then I thought, God forbid, maybe its ivanaIVANA (Crosses herself, spits.): What are you talkingabout, dear Lord!? Bite your tongue!(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR laugh.)DIMITRIJE (Drinks up his beer.): Cmon, ivana! Wordscant save the soul. We dont go on that journey when-ever we choose. (Laughing.) You will be neither thefirst nor the last Ill accompany with my singing!IVANA (Laughing.): Yeah, though, it looks like youllbe waiting for me there instead!DIMITRIJE: If God wills it. (Crosses himself.) If I finallysaw the Communists go to hell (Laughing.), I can waitfor you too.BOKO (Gets up.): You are wrong, sir! Communismis The future! Historical inevitability!DIMITRIJE (Crosses himself.): Dear God, spare usfrom that future!BOKO: Wasnt Jesus the first true Communist?DIMITRIJE (Insulted.): Oi, oi! Wasnt he an altruist, youantichrist?BOKO (Nodding.): Thats why he was crucifiedDIMITRIJE: But he rose again Beat death and theRomansBOKO (Provokingly.): When? Three hundred yearsafter the crucifixion. The Communists will do thesame. What we had was just a beginning, an embryoof CommunismDIMITRIJE (Bitterly.): Prematurely born, forgive mesaying; forcedBOKO (In Russian.): Zaela evuka iz pervoj ljubovi,my dear (Russian A maiden got pregnant withher first love.)

DIMITRIJE (Laughing.): Rather was raped, and gotpregnant! God forgive me, lucky she miscarriedBOKO (Confidently.): Shell do it again! She will!Shell give birth again!DIMITRIJE (Laughing.): To a bear cub! BOKO: A new Marx working class Christ!DIMITRIJE (As if insulted.): Thats blasphemy, you god-less!BOKO: Dont you curse Marx!DIMITRIJE (Calming down, laughing.): All right, Iwont It was yours, hope it wont come backBOKO (Stubbornly.): It was and will be.RADIA: Well, the workers had it better before Andnow? Now, they are skinning us alive! We are bleed-ingSLOBODAN (Laughing.): A consequence of miscar-riage, my brotherDIMITRIJE: Thats right, doctor! Slavic people wontever think of getting involved with antichrists andCommunism again (Gets up hesitantly.) I am off! BOKO: They will, they will. Many liked it, my friendRADIA: Well, the way the new bosses are, pardon theexpression, screwing the workers, I wouldnt be sur-prised if even Lenin rose from the grave SAA (Laughing.): There are more and more faggots.PETRA: I am not listening, cousin. Feel free to swear.I can do that too, even nastier.VUKOJE JUNIOR: Maybe children would be better ifmen did it with men and women with women(VUKOJE and IVANA look shocked.)PETRA: Dear Lord, my child!BOKO (To Radia.): Well, cousin, you had what work-ers around the world could only dream of. You shouldhave kept it! (Vengefully.) You allowed, man, one sin-gle man to lead you, like some sheep, lead toRADIA: Did anyone ask us, man?VUKOJE: At the village entrance when one dog starts

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barking the others join in. They dont know why theyare barking, but they arePETRA (To himself.): To no-one and nothing we remainfaithfulDIMITRIJE (Looks at her surprised.): And you, daugh-ter, you dont believe in God?PETRA: Honestly, I dont. (A bit embarrassed.) But Iam afraid of Him, and I am angry at HimDIMITRIJE (To Petra, nodding.): So you should, youshould, my child (Leaving, mysteriously smiling.) Weshould all be afraid of HimVUKOJE: Stay for lunch, Dimitrije.DIMITRIJE: Gladly, if it werent for my wife She ismore furious than your heathen. Farewell!BOKO (He sits, but gets back up as if his speech cankeep him straight. Tipsy.): Capitalists, unfortunately,were the only ones who truly believed in Communism! VUKOJE: Stop by for dinner!DIMITRIJE: I will! (Laughing.) Ill pop by if she lets me.(Stumbles out.) Cool the beer, just in case!BOKO: Wait, I want to explain. (To himself, disap-pointed.) Run, runVUKOJE: Come both of you! (Looks after him.) DearDimitrije, youve started stumbling too.IVANA (Bitterly.): Time has slipped away, Vukoje.(Mock reproachingly.) Youve spent a lot of time try-ing to snatch Ikonijas plotVUKOJE (As if angry.): You again! Whats wrong withyou, ivana? Stops inventing, dont sling mud at mein front of the children!IVANA (As if angry.): Can you hear him? Me, I amslinging mud! I am making it up Everybody knows inthe village, only meVUKOJE JUNIOR: Hey! You too, grandpa?SAA (Lifts the bottle and clinks it with VUKOJE JU-NIORs. Inspired.): Long live grandpa, may he jumpover the fences for another hundred years! (To Vukoje

Junior proudly.) Top genetic potential, brother, eh? VUKOJE: Dont listen to her, kids! Shes imaginingstrange things, at my age she is nagging me aboutIkonijas plotIVANA (As if insulted.): Whoa, me, imagining? Do youremember, Radia, the song he used to sing? Thewhole village at me(RADIA shrugs.) VUKOJE (Whispering.): Its a big village(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR laugh.)MILICA (Descending. Carries plates. Heard ivana.):Wasnt it, mother, thatthat song Something aboutleaves and and autumn. How did it go? Ill remem-ber. Its on the tip of my tongueSAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR (Start singing, at the sametime, the first verse of the song Falling Leaves in theMountains.): Falling, falling leaves. Falling leaves inthe mountains!MILICA: Thats it! (Joins in.): And cover, cover. Covermy footprints!VUKOJE (Surprised, to the young people.): How do youknow that? Its an oldie.SAA: Dad often sings itVUKOJE JUNIOR (As if surprised.): You too, uncle?(Laughing.) I though it was Bobos favourite (RADIA looks at them bitterly. )BRANKA: Happy funeral, father-in-law!VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Vukoje.): You couldve hired sometrumpeters. Could be wild!VUKOJE: To be honest, Vukoje, I thought about it butthenSAA: Grandpa, you shouldve, really!VUKOJE: Anyway, some here think that I am Whatwould they say if the trumpeters accidentallyshowed upBOKO: With music it is more celebratory and sad-der.

IVANA (Reproachingly.): He isnt bothered by hisbrains. The way he is he would lead a danceVUKOJE: I doubt it My legs have forgotten Its beena while since But, maybe, maybe Ah, if I could justonce lead a dance (To his grandchildren.) And you,why dont you get married?VUKOJE JUNIOR (Laughing.): Why should we? whenthe chicks jump into our beds on their own(VUKOJE looks confused and then shrugs.) PETRA (Crosses herself.): Oh, God! Whos crazierhereIVANA (Proudly, to her grandchildren.): Well, my chil-dren, there was no such a dancer around like ourVukoje. When he used to When we used to dance,wow! I am not bragging; everyone stared at us Eh,once upon a time VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa.): Its like when we shake it,eh?BRANKA (To Petra.): Of the same kind, sis! Chip offthe old blockPETRA: I know, Branka. (Looks at Slobodan.) Its kindof genetic.(RADIA stars singing the song as if to irritate them.)BRANKA (As if reproachingly.): They are hiding theirlegs like a snakeWellVUKOJE JUNIOR: It doesnt work with my Petra! Shecan sniff Slobodans trail and pay him back doubleSLOBODAN (Angrily.): Vukoje!?VUKOJE JUNIOR: Stop twitching, dad! This is our fam-ilyBRANKA: Men are men When a bitch wags her tailthey (To Radia.) Isnt that so, my love?(RADIA clears his throat.)IVANA (Nervously.): All right, kids, help yourselves,eat, drink! (Takes a glass.) My heart swells when I seeyou all like this Gathered Hope we always meeton good occasions! Cheers! (Drinks up.)

BOKO (Takes his glass. Pours a few drops on theground, drinks up.): Good! Very good The priestwent for a funeral, and us?(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR laugh.)BOKO (Apologetically, smiling.): I am afraid, mycousin, they might bury him without us(Everybody laughs.)MILICA (Laughing.): Oh, my God!BOKO (Looks at all of them, even more confusedand then starts laughing. Then calms down andstarts reciting.): From specks of dust to celestial bodiesWe have understood the secret of the wisest deeds.We unknotted the knots of the wisest wordsOnly the secret of death can we not understand(PETRA looks at him amazed. About to say some-thing, then changes her mind.)(MILICA suddenly starts crying.)IVANA (Confused.): Milica!? Daughter?!RADIA (Surprised like the others, confused.): Whatswrong now? Oh, dear, a minute ago she was singing,and look at her now!BRANKA: Is it something I said? Dont, sister.VUKOJE JUNIOR (Delighted.): People, uncles realpoet! Made aunt cryMILICA (Crying, to Branka.): No. Nobodys fault Ijust BOKO (To the young people, pointing upwards.):Rubiyt by Omar Khayyam!SAA: Never heard VUKOJE JUNIOR (Laughing.): Ive never met the guyBOKO (Proudly.): An 11th century Persian poet SLOBODAN (To the young people.): Do you see, chil-dren, what the old school is, eh?VUKOJE JUNIOR (Bowing.): Chapeau, uncle.IVANA (To Milica.): Why are you crying, my child? Hedied long ago (Waves her hand.) Way back!

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MILICA (Through laughter and tears.): No, mother Iam just (Starts crying again.) SLOBODAN (Philosophically.): Those who easily sing,even easier cryPETRA (Ironically.): Ha! From happiness, for sure!MILICA (Sobbing.): Ibecausebecause TodayThis day, dear family, will never be repeated(Everybody looks at her as if they are suddenly awareof the passing of life.)(Dark.)

Scene Four

The same. Late afternoon. Everybodys present. Thetable is covered with plates, beer bottles, andglasses. Food leftovers are on the plates. There issome home-made bread. The mood is relaxed, asusual after a heavy meal. BOKO (Drunkenly.): The priest escaped And Iwanted to explain to him Prove to him Only capital-ists studied Communism properly and believed in it! MILICA: Dont, Boko, please! Dear family, dont holdit against him, he is crazy about Communism Evenmore when he drinksSLOBODAN: Its all right, Milica, let the man speak(To Boko.) Cousin, isnt your claim paradoxical?BOKO: No, it isnt! They studied Marx well They re-alised Marx was right! Capital can only be obtainedby crime or appropriating the surplus of someoneelses labour! Surplus of workers sweat! Thats whythey got together in order to destroy it, my dearcousinSLOBODAN: Until now you have always claimed thatthe Communists brought ruin on themselves.BOKO: Its true Capitalists used the fact that thebeneficiary is usually hated Here, even you sling

mud at the past system, and if it hadnt been the wayit was, now you and Radia would be ploughing themuddy land Many intellectuals would be lookingafter the village sheep and pigsMILICA (Approaches him.): Dont, Bole, please! Look,the soup! (As if apologising.) He never makes it be-yond the soup. Take it, eat something, man.BOKO: Leave me alone, woman! Let me explain tothe people Capitalist workers were the ones whoprofited the most from Communism!SAA (Provokingly.): I dont understand, uncle Howdid they profit?BOKO: They did, they did, my son! Logically Thebosses had to pay their workers well in order to stopthem taking the surplus Not to be like the Russiansand our Ask them how they feel now when No Com-munism, no fear of Communism. And!? Lower salaries,my brother! Firing, surplus Recession Do you get itnow? I claim that workers, all over the world, will riseagain (Starts singing, drunk, slowly getting up.)Arise ye workers from your slumberArise ye prisoners of want!(Stumbles and sits down.) VUKOJE JUNIOR: Bravo! Long live uncle! (Sings.) Eastand West are rising! (Takes a swig from the bottle.)North and South are rising! (To Saa.) I am sick andtired of hardcore communists.VUKOJE (Confidentially.): You have to understand him,Vukoje. Boko grew up in orphanages VUKOJE JUNIOR (Surprised.): Uncle is an orphan!?(Mysteriously sighing.) Lucky him (Drinks again. ToBoko.) Cheers, my dear cousin!PETRA (Warning him.): Bobo! (Winks at her son.)(SLOBODAN shrugs.)MILICA (Pityingly.): Without parents love, Vukoje!Cmon, Bole Cmon my orphan Let the politicsbe Eat, then later

BOKO: I am full Its not politics, Milica It is thetruth! (To the young people.) I can see the boys aremaking fun Fine, fine You will pay later It makesme sad It hurts Those that got the most from Com-munism are dragging it now through the mud! Thebenefactor is hated, children Thats why Christ wasRADIA (To Boko.): I swear, your head is not for twolegs!VUKOJE: Dont say that, my sonRADIA: Hes my brother-in-law, I have the right tojoke... Though its correct what he says. (To Boko.)Only, I dont get it why you complain, youve alwayssucked the state dry BOKO: I was always on leftovers on straw, mycousin! I defend what was I defend the idea! Withmy own life (Stars eating half-heartedly.) I cant. Itwont go down My soul resists (His head slumpson the table.)MILICA: Here, its always like this Thats why the kidswont come with us Bole Boko, cmon, dear me,have a nap. You are tired (Tries lifting him.)BOKO: Just a bit longer Just to explain to the youngpeople (Gets up swaying.) Tired Tired of Let mebe, I can (Stumbles.)(MILICA catches him.)SAA (Quickly gets up.): Wait, auntie, well help you.(To Vukoje Junior.) Cmon, lets get uncle(VUKOJE Junior gets up slowly, unwillingly.)MILICA: I can do it on my own Its not the first time.SAA: Well do it together.(SAA and MILICA take Boko inside the house.)VUKOJE (After them.): Put the light on!RADIA: Well, sister, it was your choiceIVANA: The womans cursed Poor her, what canshe doBRANKA: Mother, we are born to suffer. Isnt thatright, Pepi?

PETRA: Not to suffer, Branka People are born forjoyBRANKA (To Radia.): Did you hear that, love?!PETRA: ButSLOBODAN (Looks at her pleadingly.): Petra!BRANKA (Provokingly.): But?!PETRA: But marriage Marriages In marriage itsalways the other one blamed for unfulfilled happi-ness.BRANKA (Pensively.): Well, yeah, sure Thats part oflife too(Light goes on above the able.)IVANA (Looking at Slobodan. Scared.): What are youtalking about, children? I am just saying it moaningto keep the curse away (As if passionately.) Me andmy Vukoje, whoa! Cmon! This year is fifty years wevebeen (To Saa, whos coming back.) You sorted himout?SAA: Hes sleeping, like a slaughtered manVUKOJE JUNIOR: You too, Saa? (Excited.) Well, peo-ple, we really are twisted! Only we can have a sayingsleeps like a slaughtered man! My child is sleepinglike a slaughtered man! (Drinks from the bottle.)Thats crazy! One cant SAA (Jokingly.): You are right, I admit. Its nicer:sleeps like a gunned down man (Seriously.) The waywe live, the way we express ourselves. (Sits next tohim.) Lets go inside, theres a basketball game.VUKOJE JUNIOR: Are you crazy, to miss the best be-cause of a basketball game? Believe me, I can smelldrama in the air. Ive got a nose for it. Vukoje hasntplanned this for nothingSAA (Pulls his sleeve.): Lets go. Im not in the moodfor theatreVUKOJE JUNIOR: To be honest, neither am I. Ive seentragedies and comedies. In some I had the leadingrole Just wait youll see

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PETRA: Qu est ce que tu racontes, Vukoje? (InFrench, What are you saying, Vukoje?)VUKOJE JUNIOR: Non vero, cara mia? (In Italian Isnt it true, my dear.) Modern theatre, PepiVUKOJE (Looks at ivana, confused. ): I dont under-stand a thingIVANA (Reproachingly.): You dont even understandour language.PETRA: Weve been using various languages, my dearfather-in-law, for a long time! Only occasionally, and infront of others, do we understand each other, fromhabit. We often argue with silenceSLOBODAN (Warning her.): Petra! (To Vukoje.) Womenare women, dad. They all like drinkingVUKOJE JUNIOR: Not to mention the ones with longtongues! (As if correcting himself, looking at Petra.) Imean, language teachersVUKOJE (Shrugs looking at ivana.): I thoughtIVANA: What did you think; milk and honey? In thedoctors house is just like in any other more suffer-ing than joyVUKOJE: Suffering? But why? Theyve got everything(To the young people.) Children, bring me my sheep-skin from the house. (Feeling cold.) Nippy tonight.(SAA and VUKOJE Junior look confused becausethey dont understand the word sheepskin.)RADIA: Autumn. Autumns here, my Vukoje! (To theyoung people.) His coat. IVANA (To the young people.): On the coat hanger,behind the door!SAA (Nods, gets up. To Vukoje Junior.) Eo! Andiamo,amico! (In Italian: Lets go, bro!) (They make a fewsteps, stop, collect some walnuts and try juggle withthem.) MILICA (Comes back from the house. To the boys.):Please, make sure that Boko doesntVUKOJE JUNIOR (Jokingly.): Can a slaughtered manwake up?

MILICA (Looks confused.): Oh, children, childrenPETRA (To her son.): Et toi, uets quelque chose!(French:Put something on)SAA (To Milica.): Dont worry, auntiewell takecareVUKOJE JUNIOR (To Petra.): Non cominciare senza dinoi! (Italian: Dont start without us!)MILICA (Sits at the table, refers to Boko.): Yugoslaviais kaput, so is he. Since then he He has never man-aged to get over it(IVANA and VUKOJE look at each other confusedly,but also proudly.)PETRA (Feeling cold.): The unhappy and old ones arecold even in the middle of the summer IVANA (Jokingly.): Well, my child, I know why Vukojesshivering. Fear A wolf is afraid of the one who car-ries a scythe. Crapping his pants!VUKOJE: What are you talking about, woman!? I amnot afraid of it: one move, one instant and thats itThereve been many plants and animals that I had tocut the breath of. I am afraid of what happens before.Ive seen how old age can humiliate and torture aman. And death: its a blessing Ive been praying forBRANKA: Well, then, cousin, why didnt you send thetelegram there first?RADIA (Warning her.): Branka?!BRANKA: All right, love One cant even joke (In abad mood.) Is it my fault that he sent thosetelegramsMILICA (Shocked, obviously just realised.): Telegrams him?! Dad?! Dad, was it you!? Not you! But why,cursed Vukoje?! How could you, dad?! I couldhaveOh! And I, crazy me (Calms down suddenly.Wagging her finger at the young people.) And youfooled your aunt, you naughty boys!VUKOJE JUNIOR (As if serious.): Its not too late, aun-tie Maybe Vukojes gathering hasnt been in vain

SAA (As if worried.): Dear God, if the Grim Reaperhad intercepted the telegramRADIA (Gets up, threatening.): My coat! Now!(SAA and VUKOJE Junior run towards the house.)MILICA (Reproachingly.): You cant cheat death, dad.Its no jokeVUKOJE (Jokingly.): If it skipped me today, itll comeone day.SLOBODAN: For all of usVUKOJE: I know, doctor. But, while we wait for it, whatare two us, two old logs, here in the middle ofnowhere?...IVANA: I said that we should have kept one child athome to help us in old age. And you? Crazy man,chased everybody away VUKOJE: At that time I thought that the day when I tripover mole hills would never come. (Jokingly.) Not evenone I miss IVANA: Oi, the booze trips him up even on the flat. Hegrabs the bottle at dawn! Bit by bit, go, measure thebarrelBRANKA (Whispering.): Mine does it in the evening.(Realises that Radia is staring at her threateningly.)All right, thenVUKOJE (Looks at her seriously. Apologetically.): Evap-orates real quickly Time drinks itMILICA: Time is a thief who steals the egg of life fromunder heavens henVUKOJE: HmYeah I used to carry a 150-kilo sackof wheat up the stairs into the loft, now even theempty one is too heavy. I stop and ask myself: God,when did you dry me out, where did my strength go?IVANA: Drained into walnuts, mechanic, doctor,teacher You wanted our children to You used todream(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR are back. Saa carriesthe sheepskin coat.)

VUKOJE: Vukoje used to dream and, thank God,dreamed it outVUKOJE JUNIOR (Give the sheepskin to Vukoje.): Isthis it, grandpa?VUKOJE (Puts it round his shoulders.): Bless you both,my heroesRADIA: Dad, we also dream our dreams And welook towards the futureIVANA: Its easier for you. The children are with you.You are youngRADIA: What youth, mother?! Cant you see I amolder than Vukoje. My workshop has drained meHalf of my life Ive spent under carsBRANKA (Bitterly.): Love, the night shift did its parttooVUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa.): I am familiar with the sce-narioRADIA (Continues, looking angrily at Branka.): Andwhat did the company give me!? An empty nose allthe way to my eyes. After 30 years of slaving, the lockon the front door technological surplus then tothe job centre. Too young to retire, too old to startagain. I should have stayed hereBRANKA: What are you taking about, Radia?! RADIA (Pours himself a drink.): Everybodys got theirown problems, my Vukoje Everybody.VUKOJE: I know, I believe you, son. But yours is notthe same as ours One way or another youll get toretirement. And us? Until now we could manage onour own And from now on, who knows? IVANA: The way we are used to, condemned to well slave to the grave. Dont upset my children.VUKOJE (Looks at her threateningly.): Dont interfere!I am talking to my sons. (To his sons.) We cant go onslaving like this No strengthIVANA: The wisest thing is to leave the subject forthe morning. Night is not for household talk

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PETRA: We are leaving tonight. I have no idea how tojustify even this day to the DeanIVANA: At least, go inside the house, and theretheway it should be doneVUKOJE: No, well do it here! Under the walnut, Idreamt here, enjoyed every new branch, leaf everydiploma, degreeRADIA: We know that, dad But Before you Be-fore you (ironically) gathered us, you must haveplanned it. We know you, Vukoje. You dont even go tothe mill without a careful plan. Tell us what are youplotting VUKOJE (Hesitating.): Well, now When you ask meI was thinking, I was reckoning for sure Just Onething is what my crazy head And the other You arebrothers you fix it. (Looks at Slobodan.) You aresmarter, educated.VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa, whispering.): What incred-ible optimism! Brothers to fix it! Give me a break! TwoSerbians three philosophers Ha, ha, haPETRA (Whispering, looks at Slobodan.): Theres nobigger fool than an educated foolSLOBODAN: There is, there is, Pepi. She is bigger: ed-ucated and vainBRANKA (Looks at them surprised then nods.): Ofcourse, there is.(PETRA steps away from the table and takes a disin-terested, proud pose.)RADIA (Looks at Petra, then at Slobodan. ToVukoje.): But, you areVUKOJE: Alive, just alive. From now on, days are tickedoff for nothingRADIA: Wellwell help as much as we can. (Smil-ing.) Here, well retire you. Well sendBRANKA: How? Out of what, Radia?RADIA (Angrily.): Dont interfere!SLOBODAN: Well come around Radia is closer,so

VUKOJE (Ironically.): Just like lately, eh?BRANKA (Looking at Radia trying to warn him.): Noteverybody can sit on two chairs at the same timeVUKOJE: Not reallyVUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa, touching his shoulder,pointing towards Branka.): Heard that, bro?! (Enthu-siastically.) What an aphorism!RADIA (To Branka.): Dont stir the devil, woman!BRANKA: What devil, cant you see Fine, fineVUKOJE: You heard Dimitrije Money cant carrywater buckets, make bread, cut woodIVANA: Exactly Here, poor Golub has everything,but no-one toVUKOJE (Frowns at her.): Didnt I tell you?RADIA (To Slobodan.): You are wisely silentSLOBODAN: Me? Well, yeah I dont know. I dontknow what to tell you. (Looks at Petra.) We haventtalked I thought Well send for surePETRA (Enigmatically.): Ha! Yeah? MILICA: Boko and me, as much as we canVUKOJE (To Milica.): I am not counting you.MILICA (Insulted.): Why? Our moneys dirty?VUKOJE: No, no! No-ones is But You have to takecare of Boko, the kids Youve got your problemsRADIA (To Vukoje.): You havent said what you areplotting.VUKOJE (Scratching his head.): I Well How can Iput it I was thinking Sure Id do it like this Asfar as I understood, you, Radia, are jobless Comehome, son, to whats yours. Bring your tools, there isno mechanic around, so do a bit of mechanics a bitof land, youll Leave the house to Saa. Let him getmarried. Hell be a young homeowner, young father,young father-in-law. Youll do fine, well do fine, himWell help him, from here, the way we did for youSAA (Jokingly.): Done! Everybody would be contentand happy.

VUKOJE JUNIOR: Not everybody can sit on two chairsat the same time (Laughing.) Auntie, thats a goodone.(RADIA looks at them angrily. He gapes in surprise.)BRANKA (Shocked, ignoring the young people.): Did Ihear right?! (Looks at everybody.) Are you joking,cousin? (To Radia.) Did you hear that, love? Like atrue host, indeed.VUKOJE: Well, you asked meRADIA (Catches his breath. With an effort, calm.):Well, Vukoje, youve really been plotting! Great! To ruinmy home in order to save yours. Oh, my God, my God!You thought, Radia is used to carrying a burden soIVANA (Conciliatorily.): Well, cmon, it was just a sug-gestionRADIA (Drinks up.): Just a suggestion, ivana. Heshit me with a sledgehammer! Oh my God! Is there agod? Why do I always get the worst?BRANKA: Good boy, gets the gold starRADIA (Sharply.): Why didnt he suggest that to Slo-bodan?VUKOJE JUNIOR: Good idea, cousin! I raise bothhands for yesBRANKA (Bitterly.): Well, its not like that, RadiaImagine academics working the landVUKOJE JUNIOR (Delighted.): Its cool; farmers in-tellectuals!RADIA: And I have to and I can do everything! Theysaid: you have to learn a craft so I did Come andlets harvest there I go The harvests started Itake holidays and run here. (To Slobodan and Vukoje.)And they, first the Adriatic, then the Aegean, then theBlack seaBRANKA (Interrupts.): And the sea of MarmoraRADIA (Looks at her.): Here, my wife learned geogra-phy following their holidays Man, I couldnt wait toget home and have a rest from the holidays

BRANKA (Insulted.): Ha... WellSLOBODAN: Weve never stopped you fromRADIA: True, you havent, brother. (Looks at Vukoje.)But (Reproachingly.) As if Radia too couldnt havegraduated with a PGCE, or from high school or uni-versity, so that he (Stops suddenly.) BRANKA (Bitterly.): Say it, love, say it; you could havefound some missy, educated I know whats bother-ing youSAA (To Vukoje Junior, whispering.): This is mumsincurable complexMILICA: Well, you can really profit, brother! What haveI gained? From one problem to the next. If it wasnt forBoko I would have A craft is worth pure gold. If Ilose my job I could only beg in front of the church oron the bridge.RADIA (Desperately.): Oh, my people, when thiswoman says these things! It drives one crazyBRANKA (Whispering, bitterly to herself.): Ha... I cansee how they respect the educated(PETRA looks at her, about to say something, thenchanges her mind.)VUKOJE (Guilt in his voice.): It just happens to be likethis, son. You are the oldest, you had to go first to thecity, to help me and the others to get on their feetYou were the locomotive.RADIA: Radia pulled well, he did And now, back tothe mud What am I? A tractor!?MILICA: Are you accusing me?! I used to send to Slo-bodan too Ive paid my duesBRANKA (Looks at Slobodan. Whispering.): To himVUKOJE (Waves his hand to calm Milica. To Radia.):Wait, dont jump ahead! Hear me out first Just soyou know, the house and everything (With a sweep-ing movement.) Ill leave everything to Radia ifBRANKA (Through laughter, ironically.): I hope mybrother-in-law wont be angry! (Sharply.) Cmon,

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Vukoje, all of this isnt worth our garage in townVUKOJE (Shocked.): Isnt worth it!? What do youmean, isnt worth it, my dear?!RADIA: Only to you and ivana. Could you sell this toanyone?VUKOJE (Confused.): Why, why would I sell it?! Itsmine ours. Belonged to our fathers, grandparentsIVANA (With a sweeping movement indicates every-thing around.): Hey, children, look our wealth is inour land!SAA: Thats it, granny! (As if thrilled.) A ranch wow!VUKOJE JUNIOR (Thrilled.): Fantastic, brother!VUKOJE (Still confused.): Here were born Peter, hisson Ostoja, his Milenko, Milenkos Peter, myself,Radia, Slobodan and her (Pointing to Milica). If it wasworth it to them, it is worth it to us. (Dreamy.) If I wasto move my little finger, many would come running tobuy itRADIA (Ironically, laughing nervously.): Oh, yeah, forsure, people from Jabukovo, from the city and abroad,a long queue would go all the way to the gatesBRANKA (Bitterly.): Yeah, the first would be grandmaVelika, Radoje the Cripple, Golub the DeafRADIA (Calmer.): Wake up, man. (Pointing to Slobo-dan.) How many of our best are in the village? Maybeone, or two! And we are too Have you gone blind,Vukoje? VUKOJE (Hesitating, not sure.): Well sure yesthere isnt you are right who would (His headdrops into his hands on the table.)VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa.): Non ti ho detto Ladrama vera e propria (In Italian: Didnt I tell you adrama) The prologue has startedSAA (Whispering.): La scena serba, oggi. (In Italian:Serbian scene today.)RADIA: Nobody would take it even if you were givingit away, not me What a crazy man

BRANKA: Youve plotted that well, doctor. Better to puta millstone around our necks and straight to thewell(RADIA looks at her surprised.)PETRA (Looking at Slobodan.): Can you hear this,Bobo?VUKOJE: Dont be like that, Branka! I alone From myangleIVANA (To Vukoje, reproachingly.): You are turning mychildren against each otherRADIA (Furiously.): Fuck the angle from which youtarget me only!SLOBODAN: Whats the matter, Radia? Calm downStop swearing!... Easy man I dont know you likethis. Youve been never like thisRADIA (Calms down. Meekly.): I dont know myselfanymore The times have made me crazy I thought,when Saa graduated, that I had solved all my prob-lems. But no! I went on the dole, and him, like all hisfriends, would like to go across the ocean. Why didwe build a house, get a mortgage, save? I cant workeven privately anymore I dont even know how toopen the hood on these new car models. Time hasoverrun me BRANKA: Its better if he goes to the ends of the earthrather than wandering around all night, or, whatseven worse, getting into drugs or alcohol PETRA (To Slobodan.): Cest sur son compte! (French. Shes referring to him.)VUKOJE JUNIOR (Laughing.): No, not me, Petra. Justa coincidence. (To Saa, winking.) A bit of grass be-fore the show(SAA looks at him surprised.)(BRANKA doesnt understand, but nods.)RADIA: When my wife says these things, thats like(Threatening Branka.) Ive told you not to interfere!VUKOJE: So, thats it Everybodys on his own You

dont need us anymore. While you stood on our shoul-ders it was(SLOBODAN and RADIA exchange looks.)VUKOJE JUNIOR: Time out! Time out, people!(Everyone goes silent.)VUKOJE JUNIOR: Cmon, people, solve the problem ina simple way, like the Japanese!(Everyone stares at him.)VUKOJE JUNIOR: They, simply, take the old parents tothe top of the Noble Souls Mountain, something likethat, and leave them there so they are closer to GodSLOBODAN: What are you jabbering about, Vukoje?VUKOJE JUNIOR: I saw it, I swear on Petra, in someJapanese filmSAA (As if curious.): Kurosawas?VUKOJE JUNIOR: Cant remember who directed it,butVUKOJE (Looks at them. Ironically.): Jabukovo is on ahill, you dont have to carry us farSAA (As if seriously.): Damn it, the Japanese arepractical.RADIA (Surprised.): Saa!? Are you out of your mind?VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Slobodan and Radia.): Honestlyspeaking, you too, old farts, could stay at the top. Itsnot worth coming down to the town just for a fewyearsSAA (Laughing.): We wouldnt have to carry youPETRA: Horrible! Children, how could you joke in sucha sick way.VUKOJE JUNIOR (Laughing.): Well, Pepi, you know howit goes; while you are already up therePETRA (Shuddering.): Dear mother, what have Iraised! I cant believeSAA (With a smile.): Grandpa couldnt believe it ei-ther, and then Thats the problem VUKOJE JUNIOR: My parents have been my problemsince I was born

(BRANKA quietly laughs.)RADIA (To the young people, sharply.): Mind yourown business! Or do you want me to teach you someorder!VUKOJE JUNIOR (Laughing): But we are talking aboutorder, cousin! (Gets up, as if to distance himself fromthe table.)(SLOBODAN laughs.)SAA (To Slobodan.): According to Freud and Jung itis normal, isnt it? (Joins Vukoje in laughter. Takes twobottles of beer. They sit further away from the table,drink, crack walnuts and chat.) MILICA: The children are joking The young are notserious Yours are great. (Melancholically.) MineSince Boko started to They wont go anywhere withus. I understand them.VUKOJE (Not looking anywhere, his head in hishands.): So? What are you two suggesting? How areyou going to pay off your debt to us?(SLOBODAN and RADIA look at each other andshrug. Silent.)IVANA: No-one owns me anything! VUKOJE: Sure they do, sure They owe us the dirtunder their nailsRADIA: I know that too. (To Slobodan.) They respectyour word more.SLOBODAN: Id like to suggest something Only Isit the solution, I dont know, I am not sure. You sur-prised us, VukojeVUKOJE: How? That I am still alive?MILICA: Cmon, dad!?SLOBODAN (To Radia.): Youve got a house, yard,space Take them to your place, and Ill cover the ex-penses every month (Sharply.) That way Ill pay mydebtsPETRA (Surprised.): Ha! Yeah!BRANKA: Well, doctor! You didnt graduate for noth-ing

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RADIA (Struggling with his anger.): Clever, veryclever, brother. (Raising his voice.) However you put it,Radia pays. (Furious.) Do you all really think I am thatstupid? (Starts to laugh hysterically. To ivana.) Haveyou fed me on donkeys milk, or what?IVANA (Confused.): Nope, son With mine.RADIA: And they think I am a moronSLOBODAN: I dont understand why you are gettingangry, Radia I suggested I thought This way wecan handle it more easily.BRANKA: Cmon, where you stitch we can squeezethrough, doctor!RADIA (Shakes his head at her.): Branka! (To Slobo-dan.) I understand, brother! (Calmer.) I get it. Fine.Its all right to Sure But, well do it this way, fair.One for you one for me Eh?... You always had achoice, you were sheltered from the wind, so takeyour pick! You want Vukoje or ivana?PETRA (Crosses herself.): Wise, I swearBRANKA: Dont cross yourself, Pepi, its time you gotyour hands dirty, washed the peasants underwearRADIA (To Branka, threateningly.): If I hear just onemore word!BRANKA (Repenting.): All right, all right, love (Whis-pering, to ivana.) But what, the lady should get herhands dirty, wash their underwearPETRA (Insulted, to Branka.): Is that so? (As if curi-ous.) Like you do?BRANKA: Yes, we do, madam. And we wear silk ones Chinese (Adding.) With lace(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR laugh.)(PETRA makes a gesture of surprise and disbelief.)SLOBODAN: Can you imagine Vukoje on the sixthfloor, in the chaos of the city? At your place he wouldbe on the land, he can busy himself around thehouse, he can bear it more easily Well takemother

VUKOJE (Apparently calm, giving advice): Then, betterroll the dicePETRA (Angrily.): What do you mean we? You wonteven ask me.SLOBODAN: Why should I! Its my motherPETRA: Is that so?! (Furious.) If she is yours, you lookafter her, alone! Eh? Give me the keys! Give me thecar keys!SLOBODAN (Shakes his head.): Whats the matter,Pepi?PETRA: Not even my mother Eh! Give me the keys!I dont want to listen to this I want to go home SLOBODAN: You want to go home? Go then, you knowthe wayPETRA: Give me the keys, Slobodan!SLOBODAN: You can also go on foot, PetraPETRA (Approaches him and slaps him softly.): Bas-tard! You mean bastard! On foot?SLOBODAN (As if joking, though he feels embar-rassed.): So, weve got physical! Do you see this, myVukoje? (To Petra.) No. I wont give youPETRA (To her son.): You tell him, Vukoje! Take them,take me away I cant do it anymore. I cant, I wontVUKOJE JUNIOR: Thats not written in the script, mum.You have to play your role to the end. PETRA (A bit hysterically.): Son! Tell him! (To Slobo-dan.) You hear this?! Give me the keys, Slobodan.SLOBODAN: You are a bad driver anyway, but now, thisupset, even worse! (Jokingly.) I dont want anything,God forbid, to happen to you Its safer with the roadunder your feetVUKOJE JUNIOR (From his seat.): Sit down, Pepi! Calmdown. Dont dramatize, please Well go together, asusual after the show (Whispering to Saa.) Now, itstime for tearsVUKOJE: Do you hear this, ivana, for Gods sake?Slobodans trying to divorce us at an old age. Its a

bad prescription, doctor! For more than fifty years i-vana and I have been enduring each other, suffering,earning as much as we can, put you through schools,and in the end you are trying to divorce usSLOBODAN: Radia suggested (To Petra.) Are youstill here? PETRA (Starts to sob quietly. Sits further from the oth-ers.): You horrible monsterIVANA: Children, please dont argue because of us(Reproachingly.) Vukoje, forget it, Vukoje Cant yousee, man You are turning my kids against eachotherVUKOJE (Continues in the same tone.): Even when Iused to sell cattle Id keep them together, wouldntseparate them, and you want toMILICA: Dont be angry, Radia, but I think its bestfor mum and dad to be with you. BRANKA: Ha! Well, well, theyve arranged everything.Ive told you, Radia. (Looks at him fearfully.) Hey!(RADIA starts towards her threateningly. Then re-turns.)BRANKA (Scared.): Alright, thenI wontSLOBODAN (To Radia, hesitating.): Shall we findsomeone young to give them a hand or maybe in ahomeRADIA (Grumpily.): What home?SLOBODAN: Home for You know what I mean?VUKOJE JUNIOR (From his seat.): Uncle, dont you getit, dad means home for those with one foot in thegraveSLOBODAN (To his son, threateningly.): Youve reallydone it now! (Calming.) Listen kid, you are talking toomuch! Do not interfere, please. (To Radia.) Theywould be together and well looked afterRADIA: Have you any idea, man, how much is costs?!I dont have itVUKOJE: With our own children around, do you want

some strangers to handle us? Do you see, my wife,what we have raised?VUKOJE JUNIOR (Through laughter.): Its less painfulwith a stranger, grandpaSLOBODAN: We are talking, dad. Looking for the bestsolutionVUKOJE: ivana and I took care of our old folk likesome precious flowers And you?SLOBODAN: I know, I understand, dad But, thosewere different times. Now its not easy for you andusVUKOJE (Apparently calm.): Well, sure, I understand.Itd be better if we werent around. Well, then, ivana,lets buy two ropes, you go for one walnut, Ill go forthe other oneSLOBODAN: What are you talking about, Vukoje?Radia and I will Find a solution Isnt it so, Radia?VUKOJE JUNIOR: Grandpa, you dont need two ropes,ones enoughVUKOJE (Looks at him, confused.): One? Why one?VUKOJE JUNIOR (Laughing.): Well, we are done withyouSAA (Laughing.): Weve buried you, VukojeVUKOJE (Ironically.): Well, yeah Thats rightIVANA (To Vukoje.): Yes, yes! You deserve it. You wereasking for trouble. Now the grandsons can teaseyouRADIA (Angrily, to the boys.): Didnt I tell you some-thing?! If I get hold of you! (To Slobodan. Apparentlycalm.) I agree not to separate them So lets do itthis way: six months with us, six with you. Honestly,like brothersOtherwise (Shakes his head.)SLOBODAN (Provokingly, to Petra.): I dont know whatPepi says about thisPETRA (Turns her back on them. Snivelling, to her-self.): I am invisibleIVANA: I am not going anywhere

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MILICA (Approaches Petra, puts her arm around her.):Dont cry, sis Balkan men Dont worry. Youveheard it; ivana and Vukoje arent leaving this place.(PETRA shakes off Milicas hand.)VUKOJE (Apparently calm.): I think thats the best pro-posal Half a year with one and half with the otherson. (Voice quivering.) Clever, fair like brothers (Asif curious.) Are we going to move the beds too or justbed down on straw bags?(SAA and VUKOJE JUNIOR laugh.)BRANKA: Cmon, Vukoje, we have (To Radia.) Isntit so, loveRADIA (Angry, gets up and starts toward Branka.):Stop with that love, for Gods sake! If you do thatagain!SLOBODAN (Grabs his sleeve.): Whats wrong,Radia? Cool it Sit, calm downBRANKA (Looks astonished.): What have I donewrong?RADIA (Sits.): Ive had enough of that; love this, lovethat Ill forget my own name!(BRANKA is in shock, starts crying.)VUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa, thinking of Petra andBranka.): Now they can do it in a duetSAA: Its just a summer shower itll stop in aminuteVUKOJE JUNIOR: With Petra its a whole-day driz-zleVUKOJE (Looks at his daughters-in-law, but that doesnot upset him.): Did you hear that, ivana? I swear,our children are smart and get on well (With grow-ing anger.) As if we were storks, eh? (Calmer.) At leastthey go back to their own chimney (Angrily.) No, noway, it cant be, my sons!RADIA (Calmer, drinking.): Oh, my God, people! Wewere just suggesting, and you; as if we had thrownstones at you

BRANKA (Whispering, looking at Vukoje.): Neither tolead nor to be ledIVANA (Gets up nervously.): Thats right. Even if youput him in the flask you cant get him(Sits).VUKOJE: Yes, you can, you can, ivana! Youll seenow (Takes off the sheepskin. Approaches her.) Getup!IVANA: Whats the matter with you, why? (Confused,hesitates, gets up and then sits back down.)VUKOJE: Get up! I say, get up! Thats right! Kneel!IVANA: Vukoje, what the hell!? Why?VUKOJE (Sharply.): Kneel on your knees, I say!IVANA (Kneels. Whispering.): Oh, God! Whats hap-pening to me Children!(RADIA gets up, sits down, gets up again.)(VUKOJE gestures to him to sit down.)(RADIA sits obediently.)IVANA (Quiveringly, hesitating.): Forget it, Vukoje.

Whats the matter with you tonight?VUKOJE (Puts a loaf of bread on her head.): Hold it!SAA (Looks at Vukoje.): Ive seen this in some filmVUKOJE JUNIOR (To Saa.): Hes not gonna curse her,eh?SAA: Mercy killing, broIVANA (Holds the bread with one hand.): Poor meVUKOJE JUNIOR: Never seen or heardSAA (To Vukoje Junior.): Watch now, youll rememberforever(VUKOJE Junior gets up and looks curiously.)VUKOJE: With both hands Like that! Do not move!(Goes to the house and grabs the yoke.)RADIA (Whispering.): Hes crazy, hes rea